Resident Evil Code: Veronica X: Twisting the Knife
by xxWalkingDisasterxx
Summary: Chapter Four is up!...Post CVX. Claire, now living with Chris and Jill, has left the house at late night but was kidnapped...who has her and what are their intentions? Rated T for Teen, because of Language and Violence.
1. A New Home, A New Life

_**Well…something new. I've finally outgrown my X-Men phase, and I'm into something more mature. Sorry, I kind of feel like I'm insulting all my old Marvel friends by saying this P No matter what anyone says, I'm now totally into Resident Evil. So here's a new story!**_

**Chapter 1- A New Home, A New Life.**

Claire's legs were aching her terribly, but she knew she couldn't stop running. If she stopped now, the monstrous thing following her would catch her, and she most likely wouldn't make it out alive. She couldn't have that, now could she?

She dared to turn her head to see the huge monster she had known as Steve Burnside chasing her relentlessly still; he was still flailing the large axe Alexia had equipped him with, hoping to somehow sever Claire from her body.

"CLAIRE!" Came Steve's roar again. But it wasn't loving; no emotion but rage lay behind the voice. Claire knew she couldn't stop. She looked forward to see a door. Could it stop Steve?

She wrenched the door open, thrusting herself inside. She slammed the door behind her, slumping down to a stop at the bottom to catch her breath. Apparently, somehow, Steve's axe, which he was slamming against the door, couldn't break through. She wiped the tears from her eyes. It was awful what Steve was enduring….

She found herself in some sort of dark lab…She looked around, and found a chair with a man securely strapped in. She couldn't see his face, so she cautiously stepped forward, her hands empty; unfortunately, she had no gun with her.

She gave a gasp of shock as she quickly recognized the imprisoned man. His brown hair, which was extremely similar to hers, was blocking his face except for his shining blue eyes, which were pointed at his feet.

"Chris!!" She cried out. She ran up to the seat, crouching beside the wood of the chair, trying to undo his straps. She pulled at the black leather secured by lead bolts, but wasn't successful at doing anything but making her fingers sore.

"Claire…?" Chris gave a low reply. To Claire's surprise, Chris didn't look up at her at all. He continued staring at the ground. If he hadn't spoken, Claire wouldn't have thought he'd acknowledged her presence.. "Get yourself out…I…I…GAH!" Chris gave a scream of pain, and Claire jumped away in surprise. She tripped over a chair as she watched her brother mutate as Steve had, into a huge monster. Chris gave an inhuman roar of rage as Steve managed to break through the door, demolishing a portion of the wall as well. Claire yelled out in surprise.

"NO!" Claire screamed, but she knew it was too late. Chris was approaching her fast, and if she didn't hurry, Steve's axe would surely take off her head much faster than it had broken through the wall.

Steve's axe took a blow for her, but she ducked. She crawled along the ground, hearing an inhuman shriek of pain as the axe instead hit Chris in the chest, knocking him into a wall. Claire crawled behind a desk, unable to see what was happening. Her only thought was to somehow make it out the door.

She rolled under Steve's huge legs, managing to make it out of the lab. She was running through a hallway, the cold getting to her easily. It seemed she was still in Antarctica…

She continued sprinting, passing through the hallway which seemed never ending, until she finally reached a door when she heard the roars of Steve and Chris, a sign they'd noticed her disappearance and were now following her…

She yanked on the door handle to find it locked. She panicked, her heart skipping a beat. Giving up, she threw her body full force into the wood of the door, and to her surprise it swung open. She ran inside, slamming the oak door shut behind her. She turned around, not daring to believe she was safe yet. And to her suspicions, she was right. She'd run right into the domain of another monster.

She heard a hiss, and looked up to see Nosferatu, the monster that was all that was left of Alexander Ashford. Claire took a step back. Where were all these monsters coming from?

Claire's eyes shot around. She located a door directly behind the monster: could she make it?

Claire steadied herself, and dove. She managed to get under the fabric of the skirt-like garment the monster was wearing, pulling herself forward along the ground while the monster had no idea where she was. She wrenched open the door to find a corridor identical to the one she'd come from. Taking it as her only hope, she ran. Suddenly, while she ran, she heard the laughing and mocking mixed laughter of Alfred and Alexia Ashford on some sort of intercom.

"Goodbye, Claire Redfield!" They said in unison. Claire found herself at a deadend. She'd been led into a trap.

She attempted to run back, but Steve, Chris, and Nosferatu were already in pursuit. She was going to back into the dead end again when the huge figure of the Tyrant fell from above and landed with a groundshaking tremor behind her. The laughs of the Ashfords rang shrilly through the air as the monsters closed in and Claire felt her heart stopping in fear, and suddenly the ground broke away and she was falling, her screaming reverberating through her ears and mind, an echo that shattered all reality…

"Claire!"

Then suddenly, she was sitting up. Her heavy breathing was making her heart hurt as she awoke. Thankful, she found herself awake and alive. She turned to see Jill kneeling beside her bed.

"Claire? Are you all right?" Jill asked with worry evident in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry if I woke you up, Jill." Claire mumbled an apology. Now that her dream was over, a thudding headache was all that remained. Ever since Antarctica, Claire had been staying in the apartment of Jill and Chris, who were roommates (although Claire thought otherwise, Chris had heavily implied that they were only friends and partners). Chris was even more overprotective of Claire now that she'd been brought back. And on the first day they had arrived there, Chris had given her the biggest lecture of her life, which surprised Claire; Claire had never thought someone could make a longer and more stern lecture than her professor at university.

"Claire, I don't know what was going through your mind when you decided to leave your campus and come looking for me!" Chris had told her while she sat on the couch like a child being punished for wrongdoings. "You are damn lucky you weren't killed and only captured! What in God's name made you think it was okay to go after a huge enterprise like Umbrella just to search for me unassisted?! And you didn't even think to at least bring Leon with you for protection!" Chris had thundered.

"It was the fact I couldn't get a hold of you that made me go searching for you! I couldn't just leave my big brother missing somewhere in the world…" Claire had replied in a small voice. Chris instantly had felt guilty for yelling at his sister: after all, he had left Raccoon City without giving Claire any new numbers as he kept his head low from Umbrella. Claire had always depended on Chris since their parents had died when they were young: Chris knew that it was natural for Claire to be scared when she couldn't find him at all.

"It's all right. I was up anyway." Jill replied. Claire rubbed her eyes, brushing her long auburn hair out of her face. She pushed herself out of bed, yawning tiredly. "Nightmares?"

Claire nodded slowly. She took a look at the clock behind Jill. According to it, it was nearly 3: 00 AM.

Claire yawned again and looked at Jill. "Where's Chris?"

"Sleeping." Jill replied, covering her own mouth as she yawned.

"What're you doing up, then?" Claire asked Jill. Jill shrugged.

"I thought I'd gotten a transmission from Barry." Jill replied.

"I'm going to go get some coffee…is there any left?" Claire asked Jill as she began to leave the room she lived in. Jill followed Claire for a bit before going back to the fax machine.

"I'm not sure. You'll have to go check." Jill replied before leaving Claire on her own.

Claire entered the small kitchen. It was very cramped, and somewhat dark with a navy blue wallpaper with dark blue tiles and counters. Claire tiredly grabbed the coffee pot and dfound it to be empty. Grunting lowly, she opened up the cupboard door to search for more coffee, but found the jar empty.

"Great." Claire muttered to herself. Now she needed to go get some. It wasn't like she would go back to sleep now; she knew that if she did the dreams would only come back.

Going back to her room, she pulled out a pair of jeans and a red T-shirt from her closet. Hurriedly getting dressed, she pulled on her shoes and grabbed the keys for her motorcycle.

"Where you going?" Jill asked, poking her head around the corner.

"To get some coffee. I won't be long, and I've got my cell phone." Claire told her with a small smile. Jill nodded.

"Okay, but be careful." Jill told her before going back to the machines.

Claire opened the door and locked it behind her. She walked down the stale smelling hallway of the apartment building they lived in and pressed the button for the elevator. She waited, tapping her foot lightly in impatience. Finally, the elevator arrived and she stepped inside. She pressed the button for the main floor and the elevator gave a lurch as it began moving. Claire felt nervous using elevators: she'd seen horror movies where awful things happened to people in elevators…

She finally got out of the confined space and into the main lobby. Pulling open the door to the outside, Claire was hit by a blast of cold night air.

She took a deep, sucking breath and loved the fresh air. She hated being confined indoors; Chris nearly didn't let her go out anymore, thinking she could be in danger if seen outside. Jill always let Claire get away with getting outside when she could: shopping trips, lunches, just going out for rides in the car and on Claire's motorcycle were Jill's way of keeping Claire sane.

Claire was walking down the path to where her motorcycle was kept in the parking lot when she stopped. She had the feeling of being watched. She turned around, looking all around her. But the darkness was thick, and all she could see was the building and the few thick trees that were around the landscape. Claire continued walking cautiously towards where the path was. She was walking when she heard a crack, ever so quiet. She turned instantly around, pulling out a knife from a holster under her jean leg. She looked around but saw no one in sight. She began walking ever so cautiously towards where the parking lot was only metres away…

Claire had resheathed her knife and could see her gleaming motorcycle through the darkness when she felt a tingle in her neck. Her hand instantly darted for her neck and her fingers grasped around a small dart. Staring at it in horror, her eyes rolled over and her knees buckled. Using the last of her energy, she looked for her assailent, but could only see a dark figure jumping out of a nearby tree and laughing sinisterly as he approached…

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Chapter one finished. Read and Review please, and please tell me your thoughts!

**Up next: Chapter 2: Attacking the Heart**


	2. Attacking The Heart

Wow

Wow! I've never had results this well with a story before…by the next day I'd already had 3 reviews! So I need to honor those kind people…

SheShe21- you're the first review! If I could give you anything, I would XD Well, here's a new chapter! I hope it's enough to satisfy you…

Hawkeye26- Well, glad to hear you're interested! It really makes me feel great when people send in awesome reviews like this…

WanderingWarrior- Well, I have granted your wish:P

ClaireBurnside267- I'm continuing right now! Hope you like it!

GottaDance88- Wow, thanks! I really didn't expect this to do so well…Well, I'm giving you all another chapter so hope you review that one too!

1Wingangel- Ohh, I can't tell you who it is yet, you'll have to find out, but it's coming in this chapter…:P

**Chapter 2- Attacking the heart**

Chris woke up later than he had wanted to. He had wanted to wake up a bit earlier to make breakfast for Claire. After all, it was her twentieth birthday, and Chris wanted to make her feel…you know, special. He pushed himself out of bed, yawning tiredly. The clock said 7:45. Maybe she was still sleeping. Maybe it wasn't too late to get up before her… Chris tugged off the tank shirt he was wearing and grabbed a white T-Shirt from his closet, pulling it on over his head tiredly. He changed into a pair of black jeans and shoved on some socks, barely registering what he was doing until he noticed he'd put both socks on one foot. Grunting in annoyance, he pulled one off and put it on his right foot. He walked almost zombie-like towards the bathroom and pulled out the hair gel from under the sink.

_Zombie…_ He thought to himself. He shook his head. He didn't like to think of those nightmarish creatures that were all too real. He began quickly running a comb through his hair and gelling it when he realized how silent it was.

Were Jill and Claire not up yet? Chris dismissed it as the both of them remaining asleep. When he finally finished, he walked out of the bathroom feeling refreshed. He walked through the small apartment to the tightly cramped kitchen. He dug into the cupboards looking for coffee. Damn. He'd forgotten to buy it yesterday when he'd gone out. He knew it would come back to bite him…

All of a sudden, he heard a yawn, and Jill was behind him, already dressed and cleaned up.

"Morning." She greeted tiredly. Chris smiled at her.

"Hey." Chris replied with a grin. "Do we have anymore coffee?" Jill had a confused look on her face.

"Claire went out last night to go get some, if I remember correctly. Why don't you go ask her?" Jill replied. Chris hadn't wanted to wake up Claire, but he sighed. Oh well. It's not like Chris was a good cook anyway: he probably would have somehow poisoned Claire with his bad cooking.

Chris walked over, letting another yawn escape as he reached Claire's room. He knocked on the door.

"Claire?" He called out softly. No answer. He knocked again. "Claire? Are you sleeping?" He grabbed the doorknob and pressed his ear to the wood. He heard nothing inside, so he turned the knob carefully. He poked his head inside the room, looking around. Claire's room was slightly messy, her pajamas still lying on the ground. Chris opened the door fully and walked inside the room. "Claire…?"

It was obvious to Chris Claire wasn't here. But if she wasn't here, where was she…?

He looked around her room, and noticed that the keys to her motorcycle were gone. Feeling immediately worried, he called out to Jill.

"Jill? Where's Claire?" He called out, his voice slightly shaky with worry.

"She's not here?" Jill came running into the room, looking concerned as well. "Around 3: 00 last night she woke up from a nightmare and left to go get some coffee…she said she has her phone. Let's try calling it!" Jill suggested.

Chris's mind was racing. What if something had happened? His mind was aching so badly that he couldn't remember her phone number. "Dammit, what's her cell number!?" Chris cursed aloud. He spotted her bag for school. Claire always kept her number written somewhere…he grabbed it and turned it over onto the chair, a mass of text books and papers falling out.

"Chris, you might be overreacting a little-" Jill tried to soothe him, but Chris didn't listen.

Finally, Chris found a piece of paper where Claire had written her phone number down. Immediately racing to grab the phone from the receiver on her nightstand, he dialed her number.

Tensely, he waited for her to pick up.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up…" He muttered.

The phone rang once. Twice. Three times. There was a click, and Claire's voice came clear. But it was only her answering machine.

"Hey, you've reached Claire, I can't take your call right now but leave a message and I'll be sure to get back to you as soon as possible!" Her cheery voice said before there was a beep.

"Yeah, Claire, this is Chris…please, pick up the phone or answer this as fast as you can…I'm worried…." Chris left his message before hanging up, feeling slightly defeated. He looked at Jill.

"Why would you let her leave by herself at such a late hour?" Chris demanded, turning his frustration onto Jill.

"What?" Jill was surprised. She knew Chris was terribly worried, but there was no way she would let him take his anger out on her. "Chris, you've been locking her up in here. You can't keep her inside all the time; she's a young girl! She needs freedom!" Jill told him.

"That's what a normal young girl needs, Jill! But she's not normal! None of us are! We're under surveillance of Umbrella, which means that she could be in danger all the time…we could be in danger all the time…" Chris retaliated hotly.

"Chris, you're being too overprotective!" She answered, shaking her head.

"You don't get it Jill. You don't have any family of your own to look after!" Chris retorted, but instantly regretted saying that when he saw the look of shock and hurt on Jill's face. His words softened as he apologized. "Jill, I'm sorry…I really didn't mean to say that…"

Jill's temples were flooded with anger. Jill had basically no family: she was an only child, with a mother who had passed away and an estranged criminal father. She knew Chris hadn't meant to hurt her, but he had anyways. How could Chris say something so cruel?

"How could you Chris…" She said in a small voice, with tears in her eyes. Chris walked over and hugged Jill solemnly

"I'm really sorry, Jill…I didn't mean to say that, it just sort of…came out…" Chris told her. She nodded slowly as she looked up at him.

"Let's try Claire's phone again, shall we?" Jill suggested, grabbing the wired phone and pushing the button for speakerphone. She dialed the number quickly and they listened through the tense air as the phone rung. Once. Twice. Three- no, wait! Someone had picked up!

"Claire? Claire? Are you okay? Where are you?" Chris instantly called out. There was breathing on the phone, but Chris knew instantly that it didn't sound like his sister's breathing.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid little miss Redfield can't come to the phone right now. Care to leave a message?" A man's voice replied in a mocking voice. Chris' heart stopped. He thought he recognized the voice but he prayed to God he was wrong…

"Where is she?!" Chris yelled into the speaker. The man gave a rough laugh, obviously enjoying himself.

"Oh, I'm afraid she's busy right now, but to keep yourself entertained, why doesn't Jill go and get the mail?" The voice said in a sly voice. Jill, looking angry and confused, got up slowly and grabbed a package that sat outside their door.

"Now put the DVD into the player." The man's voice instructed, almost unable to hide his delight.

Jill opened the package and pulled out a disc. It was blank, no label posted on it.

"What is this?" Jill asked. The voice didn't reply. Chris urged her on and she stuck the disc into the player. Instantly, the TV screen lit up. There was the dim vision of a dank room, only a table in the center. Sitting on one side of the table was a man hidden in shadows, on the other side was…Claire! Chris growled in anger, watching his sister on the television screen. The phone was silent; it seemed the man was waiting.

The two directed their attentions to the man on the video.

"Claire, what do you know about Umbrella's recent movements and actions?"

"Like I'll tell you." Claire replied dryly. Chris's heart sunk; Claire was known to be resilient, and she'd probably get her ass kicked for not cooperating.

"Claire, what do you know about the New York Umbrella plant that was just incinerated?" The man asked instead. Claire didn't give a helpful answer.

"Still not telling."

"Claire, what would you say if I told you that we had Steve in the next room? Would you tell us then?" The man gave a small smirk that was visible even through the darkness. Claire's eyes shot up. Her face flooded with anger.

"You jerk! What're you doing to him?!" She stood up angrily, but before she could anything, the man had snapped his fingers and two guards came in and held her by her arms. This did not stop her from squirming, however; she continued struggling to get a hold of the man who was now laughing sadistically. "Wesker, you evil creep!" Claire yelled angrily.

Jill gave a gasp.

"Wesker?!" Jill asked incredulously. Chris nodded, biting his lip; Wesker had Claire and he was using her emotions against her…

"Sit down, Redfield." Wesker stood and slapped Claire across the face, sending her sprawling into the wall. The man stood at ease near the door, waiting for their new orders.

"Claire!" Chris cried out, unable to restrain himself. It was then when he realized the phone was still on; Wesker was laughing on the speakerphone loudly, enjoying Chris' pain. "Wesker, you creep!"

Claire stood up shakily, wiping her mouth and spitting blood onto the ground. Chris glared angrily at the TV screen.

"Wesker, you're pathetic." Claire spat out. Wesker stood, snapping his fingers.

"Take her to her living quarters." Wesker ordered to the men. "Say hello to the camera, Claire. You're brother and his girlfriend are watching." Claire instantly turned her attention to the camera that was in the corner. She gave her a brother a small smile as if to say 'Don't Worry About Me' before she was dragged roughly. Before she was out of the cameras view, she yelled, "I love you Chris!"

The TV was filled with static. Chris' eyes were watery with tears. He'd thought he was a hardened warrior; he couldn't stand to watch his little sister being tortured after all she'd been through…

"Wesker, where is she!" Chris yelled angrily into the phone. Wesker only laughed.

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know."

"You sick bastard!" Jill shouted. "How could you!"

"Very easily, actually." Wesker replied. "All I had to do was wait for her to come outside when it was dark and kidnap her before she reached her motorcycle. The girl was quite foolish to go out alone when she was under such surveillance by Umbrella, let alone myself."

Chris scribbled something silently onto a piece of paper and showed it to Jill.

_Can you trace the call?_

Jill nodded slowly, making her way over to her computer silently.

Suddenly, there was a thud, and the front door was opened and slammed shut.

"Chris? Jill?" They heard Barry's voice call out. "What's going on?"

"Ah, Barry. How nice to hear from you again." Wesker's voice greeted slickly. Barry froze as soon as he heard the voice as he walked into the living room. Chris could see the form of another person behind Barry. Who was it?

"Wesker?" Barry asked, glaring at the phone.

"Wesker?" A female voice came from behind Barry.

"Ah, is that the lovely Rebecca Chambers there also?" Wesker's voice laughed. "Looks like the whole gang's here now. Well, to keep you entertained, here's some video footage of what you've missed from Raccoon City…" The phone line cut short and the TV flickered on once again of its own accord. Then several surveillance videos of various monsters chasing Claire down through Raccoon City began playing. But the group hardly noticed it as they began packing up to go save Claire…

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Personally, I ate Wesker, and this is why. He does things like this. Well, hope you all found this chapter satisfactory…and I'll update as soon as possible! Please review!

**Up Next:** Fighting Back.


	3. Fighting Back

_Well…another chapter! And I believe it's long overdue! But first…REVIEW ANSWERS!_

Sheshe21: Oh, I don't know yet…but I hope there will be some Wesker ass getting kicked! –laughs evilly- thanks for all the attention!

Gotta Dance 88 : Thanks! I'm just trying my hardest. Here's the next chappy!

S. Kegler : Really? Thanks!

WanderingWarrior :What's Wesker up to? No good, I can assure you! Yeah, Wesker's one of the cooler villains. But still, he really pisses me off XD

1WingAngel : Really? You're a Wesker fangirl? Well, I guess every guy needs fangirls…kidding. Wesker's actually pretty cool! I just reallllyyy hate him XD

**Chapter 3: Fighting Back**

Claire woke up with her head pounding and her mind swimming. She opened her eyes to find herself back in her cell she'd been in for the past few hours since her kidnapping. Claire rubbed her sore head as she tried to remember what had just happened. She sat on the cot attached to the wall. Wesker had interrogated her, she remembered. Then she'd been dragged off and…hit, she remembered painfully. She'd been smacked across the back of the head with a thick metal rod. She felt her soft spot on the back of her head but didn't think she'd sustained any major damage. Reviewing everything Wesker had said, Claire picked one bit of information and focused on it.

Somewhere in this facility, was Steve.

_That's my objective I guess then,_ Claire thought to herself, searching her hands through her pockets for anything she could use. Her search came up empty. Standing up and stepping over to the door, Claire examined the lock. It looked simple enough…but there was a security camera watching her intently, Wesker on the other side of it no doubt. Wesker or one of his lackeys.

"Wesker!" She yelled at the camera. Her voice carried on down the empty hallway. Just where was she anyways…? "I want to talk to Wesker!" Silence ensued. It seemed deafening in her ears. She waited for a few moments, not particularly expecting an answer. She sighed, looking down to notice she wasn't dressed in the same clothes she had been when she'd been kidnapped. Now she was wearing a black outfit with an Umbrella symbol on the breast pocket. She made a disgusted noise; the pervert Wesker had probably ordered it…

"So. You're up." Wesker's voice filled the room but she couldn't see him anywhere. She looked up to see a speaker beside the camera and grunted. He wouldn't come see her himself, obviously…that ruins that plan…

"Yeah. Where are my clothes?" Claire asked with an edge in her voice.

"What? Don't you like the Umbrella outfit?" She heard the sadistic laughter she'd learned to recognize from Wesker.

"I thought you didn't work for Umbrella anymore." Claire said flatly.

"I don't work for Umbrella anymore." He said plainly. "I control it."

"And how'd you manage that?" Claire asked, using the bought time to look around her surroundings once more. Perhaps she could distract Wesker long enough to find some way to escape…

"Enough questions. I expect your brother and Jill will be here soon for you…" Wesker said casually but Claire could detect the excitement in his voice faintly. "Meanwhile, I must go monitor how our friend Steve is doing. Good bye, Claire."

_That's it,_ Claire thought as she heard Wesker laugh sadistically. _I'm getting out of here, with or without my brother's help._ She took off her shoe, which she noticed was still the sneakers that belonged to her, and threw it at the camera. There was the sound of electricity sizzling, and the camera's lens broke off and fell to the floor. Claire could hear Wesker's enraged yell and heard him giving orders to his men. This was Claire's moment to act. She picked up the broken lens and shoved it into the lock, attempting to somehow break the lock. How in God's name had she thought this would work? Raising her leg and aiming carefully, she kicked in the piece of durable glass and the door flew open, slamming loudly against the cement wall. Not risking the time to enjoy her victory, Claire ran down the hallway. Surely Wesker's people would be down here in moments, with guns blazing after her, Claire, who was unarmed but still dangerous.

Skidding down the hall, Claire found herself in a new hallway that was white and smelled sterile. The smell of labs. Claire hated labs to the extreme. She continued moving, always ducking around corners and listening past her breathing for any sounds of footsteps. However, to Claire's surprise, she found the hallways quite empty. What the hell…? She continued moving stealthily through the white hall, ducking underneath a window into a lab. Raising her eyes carefully, she peered in, surprised to find it empty.

"Where is everybody?" She asked herself quietly. She didn't trust the emptiness; it didn't feel right for her. Seeing a door beside the window, Claire decided to take the chance and enter the lab.

As her shoes clicked on the floor, Claire looked around uneasily in the new room. It was as white and sterile as the hallway, but was cluttered with various tables all containing reports and the like. Papers were scattered everywhere, but a thick notebook on a nearby table caught Claire's eye. She picked it up, finding the bulging notebook almost empty inside; it seemed the illusion that it was thick and full was just proving it was stretched out. Nonetheless, Claire picked out the few pages left inside.

_**Scientist's Journal**_

_**February 5, 1999.**_

_**We managed to extract the T-Alexia Virus from the subject Steve's body, but it is completely unstable. The woman, Alexia, who created the virus, must have been ingenious to be able to manipulate this virus so well. It is restraining against everything we do. Just what does Mr. Wesker plan on doing with it?**_

_**February 8, 1999.**_

_**The virus is unbelievably powerful. There is no wonder why this thing mutated the bodies of Steve Burnside and Alexander Ashford. It's so unimaginably independent…it's breathtaking. I haven't seen innovation like this since the T-Virus was discovered…**_

_**February 14, 1999.**_

_**Mr. Wesker is extremely angry about a recent screw up with Project: Burnside. There was some sort of mistake getting a full DNA sample from the subject and the virus was damaged. Wesker was not happy about that. He threatened to kill us all himself if anyone made any more mistakes. Man, what a hardass.**_

_**February 16, 1999.**_

_**The subject Steve has finally woken up. At first he was unresponsive, but then he began reacting to the environment around him. Wesker took him in for interrogation and apparently, something went wrong in the subject's head during the resurrection process. I'm not sure what, but Wesker keeps talking to himself. Stuff about revenge and Redfields, whoever they are. Oh well, as long as I'm still breathing.**_

"Steve…" Claire whispered to herself slowly. She put down the file, looking up. There was a sliding door on the other end. Could be worth checking…

She slowly walking over, leaving the file lying open on the desk. She stepped thrugh the door which made a small hiss as it slid open mechanically. She stepped inside to a new room.

_Surprise,_ Claire thought to herself sarcasticly, rolling her eyes. _Another lab. _

Walking around, Claire saw several empty test tubes, some still looking recently wet. Continuing her search for nothing, Claire looked ahead to see an observation window. She stepped up to it to see it looked down into a small white room that had been fashioned into the tiniest hint of living quarters. There was a cot attached to the wall, and a sink for water. Otherwise, the room was essentially empty. Except for a person lying asleep on the bed.

Peering in and squinting, Claire could make out the sleeping form of Steve Burnside.

"Steve!" Claire yelled, banging her fist on the window. Steve did not stir. Was he drugged? Or could he simply not hear her? "Steve!" She ceased pounding. She was still surprised she hadn't been apprehended already, but she took this as either a small mercy or a trap. She didn't care which. Noticing a door beside the window with a keypad, Claire rushed over to it. There was no way she knew the code, but she didn't plan on opening the door the conventional way. Picking up a nearby paperweight embossed with the Umbrella logo, Claire hurled it at the keypad. There was the sound of plastic being crunched and electricity zapping, but finally there was a click as the door unlocked. Pulling open the door, Claire rushed inside and sat beside Steve's bed.

"Steve? Steve, wake up!" Claire urged, shaking him lightly. Steve stirred slightly, opening his eyes blearily to look at her. Moving himself back a bit, he stared at her blankly.

"Steve! Oh, my God, Steve it's true! You're alive!" Claire burst into tears, throwing her arms around Steve, whose expression turned to surprise.

"Um, hi beautiful girl who is hugging me crying." Steve said slowly, holding Claire's head. "But…" He raised her face to look her in the eyes. "Just who are you?"

Claire felt like her heart had stopped dead in its track, halfway through a beat.

Steve had died in her arms, and she had thought about him often, even telling Leon about him through the internet. But now, the man who had loved her…

Couldn't remember her.

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Well, another chapter done! Sorry it took so long, but I'm so busy lately that I've literally had to schedule everything out! A new chapter of Funeral For A Friend is coming by either tomorrow or the next day, so stay tuned! But right now my main priority is finishing my first episode of my resi show on YouTube (search for LemonGarrador), so this will be taking an extremely short hiatus!

**Up Next: ****Attempting An Escape, Attempting A Break-In.**


	4. A Message to Readers and Fans

Dear my faithful readers.

I am stopping writing forever. Goodbye.

…Why are you still here? I said I'm leaving! Get out!

…Nah, I'm kidding you.

I'm truly touched by how many great reviews I've been getting from people, on this story and others. The most recent one I can think of off the top of my head is the one from TaoKitty. That is the main wake-up call I got to kick start my writing again.

And besides, other than school, I don't have much else to do. My YouTube account was recently shut down ( :'( ).

I really am truly sorry, everyone for not writing in so long. I feel so guilty about it. I hope you can all forgive me. :)

Love,

Loser.Who.Loves.Steve (who shall also yet again change her name again xD)

PS: Sorry to everyone who got the new chapter email from this only to discover it was just a crappy message xD.


	5. Attempting a BreakIn, Attempting

Okay everybody! Sorry it took so BLOODY LONG. I mean, GOD! I HAD HALF OF THE SUMMER TO WRITE THIS AND I SPENT IT ALL PLAYING VIDEO GAMES AND READING LEMONY SNICKET OVER FOR THE SECOND TIME! GAWD AMANDA! –Slaps self-

Anyways. Yes, I'm continuing this. Yes, I'm coming out with more stuff, hopefully soon. And yes, I am a lazy procrastinator.

Enjoy.

**UPDATED!** I fixed the plothole in Chapter 2. The plothole consisted of Wesker asking Claire where they were hiding, when he quite clearly knew. Thanks to Lord Leachim for pointing this out.

Also, I would like to answer a question sent to me by a reviewer (I won't say their name). I would like to say right now that no, Claire and Jill will not make out in this story or any other stories I will ever write. Ever. Get your head out of the gutter.

But before we begin...REVIEW SHOUTOUTS!

**TaoKitty**: I know, she's had it rough. Hopefully things will get better soon! (hint hint: possibly in the form of blonde hair -looks around suspiciously-)

**1wingangel**: I know. Plus, you'll see what Wesker had done to take advantage of Steve's current predicament later on in this chapter...

**Wild Fantasy**: Your wish is granted, master! -I Dream of Jeannie thing, crosses arms and blinks-

**Soldier of the Underworld**: Thanks, and I will! D

**Lord Leachim**: Yeah, I know. The plotholes got kinda bad. And I know, I should have taken more time to carefully write it, but I didn't, which is a shame. And I really liked the X-Men bit that you added in your constructive critiscism. Thanks for the review, I really appreciate it.

**noopy1986**: Really? Coincidences!

**Real Vash the Stampede**: Le gasp! How dare you speak of Claire that way! -I kid, by the way- Well, she wouldn't have lost her if Sherry had listened more

**Ellone Leonhart**: Aww thanks. I feel so touched

**GottaDance 88**: Well, your more is here!

**SheShe21**: Ah, my friend, that she did! I have more here too! Happy writing

--

**Resident Evil CODE: Veronica X**

"Twisting the Knife" 

_**-Chapter Four-**_

**"Attempting a Break-In, Attempting an Escape"**

"No…Steve…" Claire mumbled softly, taking his chin in her hand, his skin soft, pale, and warm. "Steve, don't you remember me at all?" She looked at his face, searching for a hope. His expression remained blank.

"Um…_should_ I remember you?" Steve asked her with a look of confusion on his face.

"Yes, you should! Don't you remember Rockfort, or Alfred, or Alexia, or the zombies, or…your father…?" Claire pleaded, hoping that her words would spark _some _kind of memory.

"My father?" Steve asked, pushing himself off the bed and standing up. He still looked dumbfounded but at the mention of his father he looked somewhat understanding. "What about my father?"

Claire stood up excitedly. Maybe she had actually managed to find some trace of memory in Steve's mind! She grabbed his hands and clenched them tight until her knuckles turned white and it was apparent she was hurting Steve.

"Your father, Steve! Don't you remember? He died…" She felt sad at the mentioning of Steve's dad again. She remembered the pain contorted on his face, the way he finally let down his barrier and poured his emotion out to Claire. She hoped he would remember the same feelings too. But instead of sadness on his face, Steve only displayed more confusion.

"My father isn't dead." He said simply. He looked at Claire as though she were crazy, or some kind of wild animal that could pounce on him at any moment. This was not the reaction Claire had been hoping for. She put a loving hand on Steve's shoulder and squeezed it affectionately.

"Yes, he is, Steve. You killed him, remember?" Claire felt bad at (hopefully) bringing back the bad memories of the circumstances Steve had faced. _It wasn't like Steve _wanted_ to kill his dad. He'd been a zombie at the time; we were putting him out of his misery…_ But Steve showed no signs of recognition. In fact, he was beginning to look a little angry at the accusations Claire was making at him. He pushed away her hand from his shoulder moodily.

"That's not possible. He came and visited me about an hour ago." Steve shook his head. Claire looked at him, confused. "And besides, why would I kill my own father, after all he's done for me?"

"No, Steve, you're not thinking right, you've lost your memory from being brought back…" Claire tired to sound soothing, but her lungs were beginning to feel clenched up from the panic rising in her chest. What if she couldn't…what if he…? _Don't think like that!!_ Claire mentally screamed at herself. _It's all going to be okay, I can restore his memory, somehow-_

"No, _you're_ the one not thinking right. I don't even know who you are, and you're telling me all these absurd things. 'Brought back'? Brought back from _where?_ Jeez, and I think I already _knew_ that I'd lost my memory from the accident…" Steve fumed at her, beginning to walk to the other side of the room and over to the polished white sink. He turned the tap on and threw some cold water onto his face in an attempt to calm down. Claire looked hurt at his outbursts, and only just realized how ridiculously silly all this must have sounded to Steve and wished that she'd given her words more thought.

Steve's words sunk in moments later. The only sound was the splash of the water onto Steve's red face and onto the sterile white floor. Claire looked at him in confusion, her hand on her hip and her head leaning to the side to try and catch Steve's eyes in the tiny mirror above the sink.

"_Accident?_" Claire asked incredulously. Steve glared at her in the mirror's reflection. He grabbed a nearby hand towel and wiped the beads of water off of his feverish face.

"Yes. I was in a car accident about a month ago. The doctors here told me that I had some pretty bad head trauma and it's a miracle I'm alive. But it left me a complete amnesiac. But my father found me, and he's been keeping me safe. He's told me all he could about my past." Steve explained, looking down at the water swirling down the drain and sighing. Claire looked at him, completely horrified.

"If your father cares so much about you, why does he let you stay in here, like a pet lab experiment?" Claire said carefully, trying to gain information and hoping her theory wasn't correct.

"My father is keeping me in here because it's what is best for me. He says there were complications from the accident and there's something wrong with me. So they're keeping me in here to keep me safe and watch my health." Steve said sharply, glaring at Claire angrily. "My dad loves me very much and I only hope I can make him proud."

"Steve, I need you to understand, that's not true-" But Claire was never able to finish her sentence as her ponytail was yanked harshly from behind which ushered a loud, sharp gasp of pain from her mouth.

--

"That bastard had better not touch her…" Chris fumed to himself as he drove the stealth helicopter to this new Umbrella base. He could hear the low chatter of his compatriots in the back, and knew he had no idea what was going to go on once they touched ground. He knew Umbrella well; they knew no morals, they knew no remorse. The only thing that Umbrella ever cared about could be seen in the form of bills. They only knew numbers and stocks and money. They didn't give the slightest thought about the effects of their research on the lives of the innocent, and even if they did, Chris was absolutely certain that they really wouldn't give a damn. Worst of it all, not only was Umbrella back, but Wesker was in charge…_and_ that…that _creep_ had his _sister_ in his clutches.

"Don't worry about it, okay, Chris?" Jill had come out of nowhere and was at his side, whispering in his ear soothingly. Chris felt her hot breath run down his neck and almost lost focus. No matter how bad the situation, he could never get around the fact of how damn _beautiful_ Jill was.

"I can't _not_ worry Jill. Who knows what he's doing to her, right now…?" Chris reluctantly had to remove his eyes from Jill's face for fear that if he didn't break the connection now, he might never look away from her gorgeous blue eyes and could crash the helicopter.

He saw the white building rising out of the fog and could almost _sense_ the evil emanating from the building. The aura of menace that it gave off was almost enough to physically choke him, and he had to give a cough. The very _thought_ of the dangers and mutations that lurked in that seemingly harmless building made his very skin crawl.

"Prepare for landing, guys." Chris told the team in the back and began to lower the copter as silently and precisely as possible onto the helipad of the building. The copter shook violently as the legs touched down and the air became thick and silent as the propellers slowed down to a stop. Chris threw off the pilot's helmet and wiped the sweat off his brow. He stood and turned to the small group of his friends who were loading up on weapons as he cleared his throat.

"We're here with two objectives, guys: Our primary mission is to rescue Claire, and secondary is to find out anything new about Umbrella and destroy this base. Now, we'll split up to cover more ground. Rebecca and I will search the east side of the building, while Jill and Barry will search the west." Chris addressed them as though they were back in the S.T.A.R.S. He smiled bitterly in his mind as he yearned for those simple days to be back.

He sighed to himself quietly and began getting his own equipment ready. He pulled out a customized Desert Eagle and put it into his holster. He attached his knife to his shoulder and caught Jill's eye again. She sent him a warm smile, a smile he knew that was meant to say, "Everything will be all right. You'll see.". He forced a smile back at her, and loaded the heavy magnum ammo into his side pack. The radios were passed around and Barry looked at Chris with a grim expression on his face.

"Chris, are we going to be able to do this on our own? God knows what Umbrella and Wesker have in store for us." Barry asked him, his voice uncertain. Chris looked at his old friend and partner and shrugged.

"It will always be us alone against them, Barry. But I did send a message to Claire's old cop friend, Leon, and gave him the coordinates of this place. He didn't answer back, but maybe he'll receive it in time to help." Chris told Barry as he stepped out of the helicopter and into the brisk night air.

Chris looked around. The base was nestled in the middle of a forest in the Rocky Mountains. What with the time of year being mid-March, the air was chilly and even made Chris shiver underneath his body armour.

"Oh really? Well, that could increase our odds a little." Barry said, coming up alongside Chris. Despite the dark situation, he shot Chris a grin.

"What are you smiling about?" Chris asked Barry with a hint of annoyance. He didn't like the fact that Barry could still smile in such a desperate time. Chris was itching to get into the building and save Claire, and wished that Barry would just get on with it.

"I'll keep a close eye on Jill for you." Barry sent Chris a wink, who was in turn speechless. How did Barry…? "I can tell young love when I see it, Chris. Nothing gets by this old man." Barry sent Chris that grin again, and Chris saw more than a joke behind it; Barry was being dead serious. They both cared for Jill a lot, albeit in different ways. Chris cared for Jill as a friend, a comrade, and…well, he had to admit to himself that he felt for her. But Barry cared for Jill like a father would care for his daughter, like Barry cared for his actual daughters. This mix-matched group of S.T.A.R.S. had become something of a family. And this Umbrella disaster only brought them closer…

"Very funny, Barry. Go make sure that Rebecca is prepped and ready to go." Chris told the older man in from of him with a forced smile. Barry walked off with that damned smirk still on his face, walking off to go help the still inexperienced Rebecca. Chris cringed deeply inside; he hadn't thought he'd made his growing affections for Jill that obvious…

"Your hair." Chris heard a giggle from behind him. He turned around to see Jill standing there. She stood up to him and drew herself to her full height. She sent her fingers through his hair that was still damp from the pilot's helmet's heat. She gave Chris a coy little smirk that he loved. As she fixed his hair, Chris involuntarily took in her perfume. He felt overwhelmed and overjoyed at the same time. He gently held Jill's wrist in place and looked at her. Time seemed to stand still for them as they looked into each other's eye. Jill's bottom limp quivered in anticipation and Chris was certain that he was going to do something he'd wanted to do for a long time. Since Chris had met her, Jill had always been the type to be determined to get what she wanted. She would usually never stop until she knew or had whatever she wanted from anybody. Chris could feel this familiar urge from her as she placed her free hand on his heavily breathing chest. He could almost feel her warmth through his bulletproof vest and felt his heart skip a beat. His mouth felt dry and his voice box had iced over. He could barely _breathe_, let alone _speak._

"Chris, I-" Jill managed to breathe. Her delicate fingers grasped his vest tightly, gripping it and pulling herself closer to him. She smelled Chris' breath that was rapidly being blown into her eyes and couldn't bring herself to smile. It tasted like mint and gum and smelled sweet and delicious, but the moment was so unexpected, and she wanted this so _bad, _she wanted to lean forward and touch his lips with hers so urgently she thought she would go insane. She wanted to kiss him and tell him it would all be all right, that they would rescue Claire, and they could-

Time kicked back into normal speed and Chris let go of Jill's hand. Chris' voice came rushing back to him as fast as the realization that Claire was still in danger, and that this was no time to contemplate his love life, thank you very much, had.

"We've got to save Claire." Chris said hurriedly as he walked briskly away, hoping Jill hadn't caught his look of disappointment and embarrassment that he was wearing.

--

"Well, well, well." Wesker, who was holding Claire captive, chuckled. "What do we have here?" Claire struggled against Wesker's grip, but to no avail. He was simply too strong for her, and Steve was clearly not about to help her out. He was looking on with interest and was giving Wesker a look that Claire found curious, despite her predicament.

"Come to finish the job?" Wesker asked Claire maliciously, throwing her against the wall and allowing her to slump down to the bed.

"Who is this girl, father?" Steve asked Wesker. Claire was shocked and horrified at Steve's words.

"_Father?!_" Claire asked incredulously, attempting to catch her breath but failing. "Wesker, what have you TOLD HIM…"

"This, my boy, is the girl I told you about. Her name is Claire, and she was the one who attempted to kill you." Wesker turned his head to look at Steve, who looked wide-eyed at him.

"No way. This can't be her. She was being so nice to me, dad!" Steve argued, not knowing what to believe. Claire stood up shakily, not knowing whether to run or advance on Wesker.

"Of course she's being nice to you, you fool. Do you honestly think it would be easier for her to kill you with you running away from her?" Wesker barked at his "son". Steve looked down in shame.

"You're right, father." Steve mumbled.

"Now step aside, Steve." Wesker commanded. It didn't really matter for him to order him to move, considering Wesker shoved him aside anyways and grabbed Claire by the throat. She struggled in his grip, but he only clenched his fist tighter. "Oh, little Redfield. Did you honestly believe you could defeat me on your own?" Wesker leaned his face in close to hers. Claire squirmed her face away so as not to feel his hot breath on her face. "Now be a dear and remain a good little piece of bait for that idiot brother of yours."

Claire's blood boiled as she heard Wesker insult her brother. The man she knew and loved was no idiot, and should never be regarded as such. That man had protected her, loved her, and surely was on his way right now to save her. How _dare_ Wesker insult him? With a strength she didn't think she had, she pulled back her arm and swung, socking Wesker in the face. She smiled with dark pleasure as his face went reeling back, the adrenaline pumping through her. _Teach him to mess with the Redfields._

"I'm nobody's bait." She spat at him with a deadly smirk on her face. She looked over at Steve, who was looking down with a cringe on his face. _Why's he cringing…?_

Before Claire knew what was happening, Wesker had struck her across the face so hard, she thought he'd torn her cheek off. She gave a loud gasp out and he tightened his grip once more.

"Oh, you Redfields are _so_ thick headed. You are just like your brother." Wesker hissed in her face, his mouth pulled back in a snarl. "You think that you can beat me? You think that I have any reason to keep you alive? Get this through your head, you little runt: the only reason you are not dead yet is because I want Chris to _suffer_. I want him to bleed inside and out. _But don't think for a second that I wouldn't kill you, because dead or alive, your brother will come!"_ To show how much he cared about her life, Wesker threw her across the room. Claire crashed through the large window with a shatter of glass. She hit a wall on the other side, coughing and aching. Wesker took a few steps closer to look down at the bleeding Claire Redfield. "You know, there are other ways I can torture Chris. Right now, I want you out of the picture." The snarl under his black sunglasses turned into a sneer as he raised his fist to bring it down on her head.

_This is it,_ Claire thought, cementing her eyes shut. _I'm finished now. Chris isn't here to save me this time._ Claire shivered from the pain. She had a large purple bruise she knew was forming on her cheek, and tons of tiny glass shards all sticking into her like tiny, hot, liquid knives. Claire struggled to breathe, hoping to God that the pain would only last a few seconds. _I'm sorry Chris, I'm so sorry. I love you._ But Claire never felt the blow come down. The unexpected had happened.

"Dad, we don't need to kill her!" Steve lunged forward finally after moments of indecisiveness. He grabbed onto Wesker's arm and pulled it down, nearly bringing the bigger man down with him. Wesker had not seen this coming. He spun around, his eyes under the black lenses like burning hot coals of fury.

"_You meddlesome brat!"_ Wesker shouted furiously, instead sending his fist into Steve's face. Steve let out a sound that made Claire sick to her stomach; it was a mixed sound of surprise, pain, and hurt, and only told to Claire how much he really thought Wesker loved him. Steve was sent reeling backwards, dizzy from the immensely powerful blow. Wesker pursued him, kneeing Steve in the stomach, a sickly sound that sounded too much like a bone cracking for Claire's comfort.

"_Steve!_" Claire cried out, tears running down her blood soaked and sore face. Wesker planted a boot to Steve's chest and kicked him backwards, and Claire couldn't bare to watch. As she lay there listening to Steve take the beating Wesker was handing to him, she felt Steve's own words come back to her bleary mind.

"_I swear I'll protect you next time, Claire…_"

"_Steve…my brother's here to save us…we're getting out of here…"_

"_Your…brother…kept his promise…I'm sorry I cannot…"_

Claire felt realization hit her almost as hard as Wesker had. This was Steve's way of protecting her. He'd stopped Wesker from killing her so she could escape. The part of his mind that could remember her surely was trying to keep its promise.

_And if you don't get moving, it will all be in vain! Go!_ Her mind screamed at her.

"After all this time, you still want to protect me, Steve…" Claire whispered through trembling, bloody lips as Steve continued to be pummeled. "I swear, I'll come back for you…"

And with that, the cut, bleeding, and crying Claire Redfield picked herself up from the floor, pushing her hands on more bits of glass, adding more Redfield blood spilt on the previously white and sterile floor, and pushed herself away from the scene of abuse and torture before her eyes.

She sprinted, ignoring the pains and aching in her limbs and bones, ignoring the alarm signals saying that she was in no condition to do this. She only wanted to sprint until she could no longer her Steve's screams of pain and agony, sprint until she could no longer see the blood and the tears on her hands and face, and run until the only thing she could hear was her own voice in her ears, repeating

"_I'll come back for you Steve, I promise, I promise…"_

_--_

I hope that was good enough for you guys. I've been actually writing this and contemplating it for a while. I had this almost written like, twice, but decided otherwise and changed it. The initial concept of what was going to happen was going to be much different.

I'm really sorry this is so late. And I swear I'll have more soon!

_With all due respect,_

_Amanda Snicket-Redfield._


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